Brushed on electric motor wore down quickly to a point that the motors would not operate. Disassembly and adjusting the brushes would work for a few moments and then the motor would fail again. Returned the product and went back to gas power. Too bad, it was a nice idea with poor execution.

I purchased this mower 6 years ago and use it weekly during the long southern growing season, (April through November). I use a 100ft extension cable that stretches about 75 feet for the front yard and almost the full 100 feet for the back yard. I experienced my first issue with it tonight when the switch lever came off. It didn't break, so I'm hoping it just came lose.

I purchased this mower in July or August 2009 and was very happy with it at first. By the second season the motor appeared to not be as powerful but it continued to work okay, although it often required more than one pass to cut the lawn neatly. While I do have quite a bit of lawn (.20 acre lot) I was assured that the MM875 was more than adequate for the job. Only maintenance I have had to do is to sharpen the blade each season and keep the underside of the deck reasonably clean. The mower is stored in a shed so it has never had excessive weather exposure. Just within the last two weeks it quit abruptly at about the halfway mark - the motor abruptly quit and white smoke came pouring out. I disassembled the motor and found that the surrounding iron magnetic material had disintegrated, causing failure of both sets of motor brushes and was not rebuildable. A new motor costs nearly as much as I paid for the mower, so I purchased a replacement (but a different brand this time).

Pros: I like electric mowers because they require less maintenance and do not contribute two-cycle engine pollutants into the atmosphere.

Cons: Black and Decker quality in general has decreased in recent years - the products often fail shortly after the warranty expires.

Has the Quality Gone Down? Did my first one fool me into buying my second one?

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After consulting Consumer Reports, I bought my first Lawn Hog in 2001. Used a couple times a week every summer in mid-Utah. Gave it to relative in 2010. The on-switch wore out, the only problem I'd had. Relative replaced switch and used mower.
I bought a new Lawn Hog in November 2010. One minor assembly flaw: The rear discharge door not completely on the rod (hinge). Door operated properly otherwise, so used the mower as it was. I mulch.
July 18, 2013, mid-3rd season with mower: While mowing front lawn, mower slowed. Thought I'd hit thick part, so lifted mower; went faster, but not up to normal speed. Finished front and put away mower to let it rest.
July 20, 2013: Mowed back yard. Mower ran, but still not full speed. Before finished back, mower stopped completely.
MM875 was the best (9 years with old one without problems); now I'm not so sure. Am shopping now for replacement and might go with another brand. I think $100 a year is too much to pay to use a mower designed to save money.

Pros: *Handled 1/3-acre yard well, usually took me 1 hour, slightly longer when I had more growth
*Instant on with switch
*Light weight considering its power
*No maintenance, other than blade sharpening
*Much quieter than gasoline-powered mowers
*No gasoline
*No oil
*No pollution
*Mulched well

Cons: *Dead in 2-1/2 years?
*Assembled incorrectly (Hecho en Mexico, date code: 2010 28 - 49)
*No power-drive model, push mower only
*Limited distance from outlets
*Unit does not come with a decent way to keep the electric cord attached. Even one close pass next to shrubs can loosen the connection, despite the designed loop-through to hold the end of the cord. If shrubs knock the cord loose, it can cause arcing or complete disconnection. I jury rigged this by tightly wrapping the outlet end of the electric cord with a bungee cord to hold it firmly in place in the on-switch housing.

I did the research, I thought, and saw the "consumer best" designations. I have a small city yard that normally would take me 5 minutes to cut, now it takes me over a half hour. In order to get anything close to that straight-up, even, soldierly lawn job that I used to get, I have to do the yard FOUR TIMES. And still there are straggly longer grasses here and there that the mower wouldn't suck up hard enough to cut off cleanly. And on the edges, like at the sidewalks and driveway, again, it doesn't suck up hard enough and the clippings simply blow all over the pavement and have to be swept up if I want things to look neat. I can't imagine the fall-- with the gas mower I used to mulch the leaves and then bag them, and the lawn would look spotless and neat. There is no way this mower is going to be able to do that. If you pull a weed and throw it over the spot you're about to cut, it won't pick up the weed even, it just moves it around like a bad vacuum cleaner.

Pros: The no-gas easy start. I like that the handle folds up for storage because I keep the mower in a shed.

Cons: Um... see my review. What I like least about this product is how it actually cuts the grass and makes the lawn look. Sad, considering its supposed function and the money I spent on it.